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Gov. Kitzhaber sweeps out Cover Oregon leadership, promises reforms

An analysis of the state marketplace by First Data released Thursday found serious problems with management and communications.

24 Mar 2014

Study to develop novel antibacterial orthodontic bracket cement incorporating DMADDM

Today, at the 43rd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), held in conjunction with the 38th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, Mary Anne Sampaio de Melo, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, will present a research study titled "Antibacterial Orthodontic Cement Containing a Quaternary Ammonium Monomer Dimethylaminododecyl Methacrylate."

24 Mar 2014

Pelosi on Obamacare anniversary: The law is 'a winner' for Democrats

The house minority leader marks the anniversary of the law's passage by expressing confidence that the law will help Democratic candidates this fall.

24 Mar 2014

New book "Near-Death Experiences" explores controversial topic with historical reports

In popular understanding, the expression "near-death experience" refers to the transition between the states of life and death. But how should such experiences be interpreted? Are they verifiable with scientific methods? If so, how can they be explained? Attempting to relate matters of scientific knowledge to subjective experience and the realm of belief is a difficult balancing act, and has led to a variety of approaches to the topic.

24 Mar 2014

State highlights: Ark. court reverses $1.2B Medicaid drug judgment; Fla. officials overhauling child welfare agency

The Arkansas Supreme Court reversed a $1.2 billion judgment against Johnson & Johnson on Thursday, finding that the state attorney general erred by suing under a law that applied to health care facilities, not drug companies. The judgment, one of the largest in history for a state fraud case, was imposed in 2012 after a jury concluded that Johnson & Johnson had improperly marketed and concealed the risks of Risperdal, an antipsychotic drug (Thomas, 3/2).

24 Mar 2014

Viewpoints: Predictions of rising premiums in 2015; anniversary of health law

No one challenges reality like Kathleen Sebelius, who assured the world on Sept. 30, 2013 that the Affordable Care Act website would be open for business the next day. "We're very excited about tomorrow," Sebelius said. "Shutdown or no shutdown, we're ready to go."

24 Mar 2014

FDA finds medical device recalls nearly doubled in 10 years

The Wall Street Journal says a report to be released today will spotlight the increasing number of problems.

24 Mar 2014

Calif. marketplace reports half of callers hang up before getting help

Officials also said that the online insurance exchange is attracting more Hispanic customers, a key constituency for the marketing effort. Also, in Minnesota, officials announce an effort to boost enrollment of young adults.

24 Mar 2014

New consensus statements developed to help tackle drug-resistant TB

New consensus statements have been developed to help tackle the growing threat of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB).

24 Mar 2014

Obama presses campaign for health law enrollment

The president continues his many media appearances to help draw attention to the enrollment deadline at the end of March. Meanwhile, a new Pew poll finds that younger Americans are somewhat more interested in the law but support among Hispanics has dropped.

24 Mar 2014

Highlights: N.Y. veterans' benefits; Ga. rural hospital deal; Ga. anti-Obamacare bill

A selection of health policy stories from New York, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota and Colorado.

21 Mar 2014

Professional midwives can now prescribe medications to pregnant women

For midwife Daniel Evans, receiving a prescriber number and a script pad with which to prescribe medication, is recognition of the important role the midwife plays in society.

21 Mar 2014

Research roundup: New medical coding system; choosing a hospice; revamping Medicare

On October 1, 2014, all health plans, health data clearinghouses, and health care providers that transmit health information electronically must use a new, significantly broader, coding system, called ICD-10, for diagnoses and inpatient procedures.

21 Mar 2014

First Edition: March 21, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a new examination of Ezekiel Emanuel's book about the crafting of the health law and President Obama's latest push to boost enrollment.

21 Mar 2014

Across races, Republican candidates use health law issues in their ads

The health law, however, is part of an ongoing debate among some GOP strategists on the best paths going forward.

21 Mar 2014

WTC first responders at higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers have linked high levels of exposure to inhaled particulate matter by first responders at Ground Zero to the risk of obstructed sleep apnea and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), both conditions that may impact cardiovascular health.

21 Mar 2014

Treat or eat: Many people forced to choose between food or medicine

Chronically ill adults who reported food insecurity in their household (not having consistent access to food due to lack of financial stability) were significantly more likely to report cost-related medication underuse, according to a new study in The American Journal of Medicine,. The term cost-related medication underuse refers to taking less medication than prescribed, or not taking it at all due to financial concerns.

21 Mar 2014

Longer looks: The politics of face and hand transplants; Apple's Healthbook; connecting income to life expectancy

Fairfax County, Va., and McDowell County, W.Va., are separated by 350 miles, about a half-day's drive. Traveling west from Fairfax County, the gated communities and bland architecture of military contractors give way to exurbs, then to farmland and eventually to McDowell's coal mines and the forested slopes of the Appalachians. Perhaps the greatest distance between the two counties is this: Fairfax is a place of the haves, and McDowell of the have-nots. ... One of the starkest consequences of that divide is seen in the life expectancies of the people there. Residents of Fairfax County are among the longest-lived in the country: Men have an average life expectancy of 82 years and women, 85, about the same as in Sweden. In McDowell, the averages are 64 and 73, about the same as in Iraq (Annie Lowrey, 3/15).

21 Mar 2014

Health care reform increases emergency department use in Massachusetts

The implementation of health care reform in Massachusetts - principally the expansion of health insurance coverage to nearly everyone in the state - was associated with a small but consistent increase in emergency department use, according to the findings of a study to be published online today in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("Increased Use of the Emergency Department After Health Care Reform in Massachusetts").

21 Mar 2014

Viewpoints: Romneycare and cutting workers; Fla.'s surprising ruling on malpractice reform

Health reform in Massachusetts in 2006 did not cause many workers to have their work hours cut, but that is no comfort for those workers nationwide who will begin to experience this side effect of the federal Affordable Care Act (Casey B. Mulligan, 3/19).

21 Mar 2014